


Your Name on My Skin

by Emmi1D4Life



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Evil Albus Dumbledore, Evil Ginny Weasley, Evil Molly Weasley, Evil Ron Weasley, Gen, Hufflepuff Ron Weasley, M/M, NaNoWriMo 2020, No Horcruxes, Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Slytherin Harry Potter, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27374620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmi1D4Life/pseuds/Emmi1D4Life
Summary: Harry Potter is born with the name Severus Prince tattooed on the sole of his foot.  Lily is understandably a bit freaked out at the prospect of her platonic Soulmate being her baby boy's romantic Soulmate, and so draws away from him.  Fifteen months later, she and her husband are brutally murdered.The day his best friend's child is born, the skin of Severus's ankle burns as the name Harry Potter is tattooed there by magic.  He completely understands when Lily draws away.  He doesn't want to think about having a romantic relationship with Lily's child either.
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Harry Potter & Fred Weasley & George Weasley, Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter
Comments: 12
Kudos: 130





	1. I

Severus understood why Lily withdrew after her baby boy was born. He wouldn't want any child of his to be Destined to someone his age. He was quite apprehensive about his Soulmate being twenty years younger. The new magickal tattoo on his left ankle itched constantly, but he kept himself from scratching it.

He and Lily had not spoken in the fifteen months directly following Harry Potter's birth. Then the Dark Lord had murdered her and her husband, and their son had disappeared from the magickal world.

Severus wanted to locate his young Soulmate, but he had no idea who to ask. He realized that the boy likely had relatives who had taken him in, but he couldn't help the uneasiness that itched under his skin.

He had arrived at Godric's Hollow several hours after the Dark Lord's defeat. Already there had been whispers of the child who had defeated Him and survived a direct hit from the killing curse. When Severus had realized that it was his young Soulmate they were speaking of, he had apparated as quickly as possible.

Lily's and James's bodies had not been disturbed. James lay in front of the door, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. Severus stepped over him, walking the familiar path to the nursery as he had been shown once nearly two years before. Lily's body was sprawled on the floor of the nursery, one hand reaching toward the empty cradle. Severus fell to his knees before her and gathered her lifeless body into his arms, tears pouring down his face. It was there that he was found when someone came to retrieve the bodies for burial.

The Aurors took him in for questioning. He was kept for several days in a holding cell at the Ministry. They didn't believe him when he insisted that he was not in league with the Dark Lord, even though he did not bear the Dark Mark. They refused to believe his story of being Lily's platonic Soulmate. Platonic Soulmates were very rare and finding them was even rarer. They also refused to believe that he was Harry's romantic Soulmate. They wouldn't even check his ankle.

"Everyone wants to be a celebrity's Soulmate. At least don't make such absurd claims until he's older," the Auror sneered.

In the end, though, after questioning him under veritaserum, they could find no reason to continue holding him and were forced to reluctantly let him go, just in time, as the next day he was to return to Hogwarts for his second year as a teacher.

Teaching Potions to underaged dunderheads was not the job Severus had wanted when he was younger; he had thought that he would have a potion shop or possibly an apothecary, maybe take on an apprentice or two. However, Albus had said that this was where he was needed, and being the youngest potions master in recorded history, he was uniquely qualified for the position.

He used his position as teacher of the class to his advantage to better the class, referencing his notes from when he was a student to publish textbooks under the alias "The Half-blood Prince." The textbooks were surprisingly effective and combined with his no-nonsense teaching methods, most students got at least an Acceptable mark in his class.

As the years rolled by and all Albus would tell anyone about Harry Potter was that he was in the care of Muggle relatives who treated him well, Severus almost forgot about his young Soulmate, but ten years after the Dark Lord's defeat, his name was called during the Sorting Ceremony and the boy who stepped forward looked far too small to be eleven years old. He had previously been hidden behind a red-headed, freckled boy who simply must be a Weasley and was taller than most of the boys their age, drawing Harry in stark contrast.

The entire Hall seemed to hold its breath as Harry seated himself on the stool and the hat dropped over his eyes. The seconds ticked by for a full minute, holding everyone in suspense, until the hat called out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Indignant exclamations came from the Gryffindor table, surprised gasps from Hufflepuff and interested hums from Ravenclaw. The Slytherins seemed to be suspended in a moment of surprise for a second, before tentative applause started and gradually got stronger as Harry Potter slipped down from his stool and walked confidently towards his new housemates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Strangers! I had resolved to never again post an unfinished story, but in this case, to keep myself accountable, I have decided to post my NaNoWriMo 2020 project as I write it. It can be found here and on AO3 under the same username. I hope you like it, as I'm working hard on it.
> 
> All the love 😍 😍 😘,  
> Emmi 💛.


	2. II

Harry Potter was not used to being a celebrity. He was used to being punished for no reason, for things he couldn't help, or for things he hadn't done. He was used to not being allowed food and being expected to clean house after the Dursleys. He was used to watching Petunia and Vernon spoil Dudley beyond reason and being punished for doing better than Dudley in school.

When he came into the wizarding world, he was bombarded with adoration and praise for something that he could not remember doing. It was exactly the opposite of what he was used to and it was no better.

Harry didn't trust the man who picked him up to go shopping for school. He was huge and loud and rough, but most of all he was kind, and Harry knew by now not to trust kindness because the ones who were kind in the beginning eventually only ended up hurting him the most.

The man gave him an owl and a cake and wished him a happy birthday. He took him to a wonderful place where everything was magical, then he returned him to his relatives.

On September 1, Harry was brought to Kings Cross Station and left on the front step.

"We'll see you next June, Freak!" Vernon called as he drove away. Harry saw a large family of red-headed wixen and set off to ask them if they knew where he might find platform nine and three-quarters.

There was a mother, a boy who looked about fifteen, identical twin brothers who looked about thirteen, a boy who looked his own age, and a girl who seemed maybe a year younger. As Harry walked towards them, the oldest boy took his luggage and ran towards the wall between platform 9 and platform 10. To Harry's surprise, he passed right through the wall and disappeared! Quickly, his oldest brothers followed him, then the boy his own age, then the girl and their mother. Harry braced himself, took a deep breath, and followed. When he passed through the wall, his eyes widened as he took in the space on the other side. A large steam engine with several carriages sat at the opposite end of the area and wixen of all shapes and sizes were boarding with trunks similar to my own. He lifted his trunk from the cart and climbed up to the last carriage, found an empty compartment, and lifted his trunk onto the shelf, taking a seat by the window and fishing one of his textbooks out of his trunk. Before long, the youngest boy from the red-headed family busted into the compartment and made himself comfortable.

"Well, hello," Harry said to him, a bit miffed that he hadn't even introduced himself or said hello.

He looked at Harry and his face turned red to match his hair. "Oh, hello, I'm Ron Weasley. Do you mind if I share your compartment? No? That's great," he said without giving Harry a chance to speak.

Harry stared at Ron, stunned. "I'm Harry," he introduced himself, already having resolved to not use his last name among wixen unless asked. "I guess it's fine as long as you're quiet so I can read. I can't very well kick you out."

Ron looked at the book in Harry's hands. "You're reading textbooks?"

"It's the first chance I've gotten to look at them, and I'm worried I'll be behind my classmates if I don't look them over before classes start. I've never been around magic before so I'm not sure what to expect," he said.

"You're a _muggle-born_?" His tone was mildly disgusted.

"No, I've been told both of my parents were magical, but I was raised by muggles. I don't know why."

"That doesn't make much sense," he declared.

Harry shrugged and went back to reading his textbook. Not much later, someone knocked twice and opened the door.

"Have either of you seen a toad?" A girl with bushy brown hair was standing in the doorway of their compartment.

Harry shook his head and turned back to his book. As he did, his fringe shifted and his scar was exposed. He could feel Ron's and the witch's eyes on it as they seemed to realize who he was.

"You're Harry Potter," Ron blurted out.

"Yes, I am aware of my own surname," he said in a bored tone without looking up from his textbook. "I didn't tell it to you for exactly this reason."

"You defeated You-Know-Who-"

"Actually," Harry interrupted, "I don't know who, as I have been raised by muggles since I was a baby and everyone refuses to use the name."

"You're probably the most powerful wizard of our generation," the bushy-haired witch said excitedly, "I've read all the books and know everything about you!"

"There are books about me?" He looked up, mildly curious.

"Oh, but of course!" She pulled a piece of parchment and quill from somewhere on her person and wrote a few book titles. "I'd recommend starting with this one," she tapped the first title, "and working your way down. You probably won't get to a bookshop until next Summer and as I recall they don't have these in the library at Hogwarts, so I can lend you my copy."

As she handed Harry the parchment, he saw a toad hop past behind her.

"Weren't you looking for a toad?" He asked.

"What? Oh, yes, why?"

He pointed at the toad. Swiftly, she grabbed it and held it securely. Harry remembered the Hogwarts acceptance letter mentioning cats, toads, and owls.

"Is that your familiar?" He asked.

"What? Oh, no, he belongs to a first-year named Neville Longbottom. I was helping him look."

"I would imagine he's worried then," Harry remarked. "You should probably let him know you've found him."

The witch left the compartment, sliding the door shut behind her. Harry turned back to his book.

Not much later, when it was nearing the middle of the day, a lady with a cart of candy knocked on the compartment door and slid it open.

Harry eyed the candy. He had never tried wizarding candy, and he had several galleons left from his school shopping. Ron seemed to be purposely not looking at it.

"I've never had wizarding candy before," Harry said. "What would you recommend, Ron?"

"How much money have you got?" Ron asked.

Harry took his money out of his pocket and counted.

"Eleven galleons."

"Well, I reckon you can afford to try everything," Ron said.

Harry turned to the trolley witch and asked for some of everything. She took two of his galleons and gave him a large number of sweets.

"Which are your favourite?" Harry asked Ron.

"I like pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs," Ron said, still not looking at the candy. Ron jumped when Harry placed three pumpkin pasties and a chocolate frog on his knee then bristled. "I don't want charity."

"Charity? I only wanted to share because you're my friend. If you don't want it . . . " Harry shrugged.

"Oh," Ron's face was bright red again. "Thank you."

Harry went back to his book, unintentionally choosing the inanimate sweets first as he read through his textbooks. Harry was almost finished reading through the third textbook, which was the potions textbook, when he unwrapped a piece of candy and it leapt out of his hand.

Harry looked up from his book so quickly it hurt his neck. Ron had chocolate smeared on his face, a trading card in his hand, and was fast asleep. The chocolate frog Harry had just unwrapped was hopping across the compartment towards the door. He hurriedly caught it but hesitated to bite it. After a moment, he shrugged and took a bite. After all, if it weren't edible they wouldn't sell it as food.

After consuming the chocolate frog, he suspiciously eyed the rest of the candy. Did any of it move? There were several more chocolate frogs and a few other varieties of candy fashioned after living creatures, so he decided better safe than sorry and placed it in his trunk.

As he finished the potions textbook, the light from the window faded to the point where he couldn't read by it. He placed the book back in his trunk and put on his school uniform robe over his regular clothing, not wanting to wait in case it got too dark to see before they reached the school. Just as he had that thought, the train lurched and began to slow down and a magically amplified voice announced that they would reach Hogsmeade in five minutes. Harry reached over and shook Ron.

"Huh?" Ron mumbled as he groggily sat up.

"We're arriving," Harry told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Strangers! This took a long time because of writer's block and also schoolwork. Sorry. I swear I'm working on it every day (even if it's only six words)!
> 
> All the love 😍 😍 😘,  
> Emmi 💛


	3. III

"Firs' years! Firs' years!"

Harry walked toward the loud voice and saw the man who had taken him for his school shopping. Thinking back, he remembered that he had referred to himself as Hagrid.

Harry hadn't hesitated for long, but apparently, it was long enough for Ron to catch up. Harry jumped when his wrist was grabbed and the redhead dragged him towards the tremendous man.

Eventually, the man seemed to have gathered all of the children Harry and Ron's own age and began to lead them away from the train station. The sun had fully set minutes before the train pulled into the station, so they had a long walk through the forest in the dark. Just as Harry began to get restless and uneasy, the path came out of the forest onto the shore of a huge lake. A castle stood on the other shore, silhouetted against the starry sky, windows glowing with an inviting golden light.

Ron dragged Harry into a boat and two other children Harry hadn't met joined them. Ron didn't seem to know them either, and the boat ride across the lake was quiet as the four of them and every other child present drank in the castle and grounds.

When they reached the castle, they were led to an enormous dining hall in which students of varying ages sat at one of four tables, which table seemingly decided according to the colour of the trim on their robes. The adults sat at a large table at the front of the room. In front of that table was a stool, upon which sat a tattered hat.

After a moment, during which the students quieted down and all attention turned to the front of the room, a rip near the brim of the tattered hat opened up and a voice came out.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

_"You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,  
And I can cap them all._

_"There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

_"You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are brave and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;_

_"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning  
Will always find their kind;_

_"Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends._

_"So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a thinking cap!"_

The entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song, then Professor McGonagall began calling names from a scroll. She seemed to be going in alphabetical order by last name. He wasn't paying much attention until she got to the Ps.

"Parkinson, Pansy."

A girl walked forward, head held high. The hat had barely touched her head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

"Patil, Padma."

A girl broke from the line and walked. The hat was placed on her head. After a few seconds, it called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

The table with blue on their robes applauded as she joined them.

"Patil, Parvati."

This girl was identical to the one who had just been sorted. She took her place on the stool. After a second, the hat called out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Potter, Harry."

The entire hall quieted. Harry nervously walked to the stool. He had already known that he was much smaller than most children his own age. Were people whispering behind his back? He focussed on keeping his posture straight and his head up. The hat dropped over his eyes and he held his breath.

"Well, well, what have we here?" the hat's voice echoed within his mind. "Quite a difficult one, it would seem, with the courage of a Gryffindor, the loyalty of a Hufflepuff, the intelligence and desire for knowledge of a Ravenclaw, and the ambition and cunning of a Slytherin. Speaking of, you would do quite well in Slytherin, that is, if you wouldn't rather be somewhere else."

' _Slytherin will likely be fine,_ ' Harry thought, ' _what was it you said? I'd find real friends there? That sounds like what I need._ '

"Well, then, that's decided." And then to the room, "SLYTHERIN!"

Harry slipped off the stool and walked towards his new housemates. The hall was deathly silent for a moment before the Slytherins slowly began to applaud. Harry's eyes skipped along the table. He couldn't really tell who he should be friendly with, so he moved to the end. If someone wanted to talk to him, they could put in the effort. As he took his seat, his eyes caught one of the teachers watching him. The man's eyes and hair were dark, as were his robes. Something about him seemed to pull at Harry's soul. The rest of the ceremony passed quickly with Harry lost in the man's eyes. He didn't even notice when a boy sat next to him until he spoke.

"That's Professor Snape, our Head of House. He's pretty surly. You probably shouldn't stare at him. If you were thinking about having a crush on him, don't. He has a Soulmate. No one knows who it is, but he's incredibly loyal, whoever they are."

"Soulmate?" Harry asked.

"Do you not know about Soulmates?" The boy sounded horrified.

"I didn't ever have family who cared enough to teach me things and we never covered it in school."

The boy looked at him critically. "Raised by Muggles?"

"Yes, what has that got to do with anything?"

"Most of our housemates really hate Muggles. I would keep that a secret if I were you. As for Soulmates, Muggle schools wouldn't usually cover it until students are sixteen. It's less common for Muggles, so they don't find it as important. Basically, if you have a Soulmate, their preferred first and last name is tattooed somewhere on your body. Wixen also feel an almost physical pull for closeness when they are in close proximity to their Soulmate."

"So somewhere in the world, there is a person with my name tattooed somewhere on their body?" Harry wondered.

The boy simply shrugged. "There are also platonic Soulmates, which is much rarer. Their mark is the first words they will ever speak to you. Most people never get them, and even fewer people ever meet the one destined to speak them. The third type of mark is symbolic and applies to rivals. Only serious heroes and villains get them." Harry's mind wandered to the snake curled around a lightning bolt which matched his scar on his left shoulder blade. It had been there as long as the words Severus Prince on the sole of his right foot. Did that mean he had a rival? Was he a hero or a villain? How was he supposed to know the difference? Before he could get himself too worked up, the meal appeared. Everyone dug in and Harry's identity crisis took a back seat to the hunger that had been eating through his gut since he could remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Strangers! This chapter took so long! Also, the water at my home has been out all week so I'm thirsty. I'm glad I made it past my mental blocks and finished this chapter.
> 
> All the love 😍 😍 😘,  
> Emmi 💛


	4. IV

Harry absorbed the sights and sounds of the castle silently as he followed the older Slytherins down to their common room. When they arrived, he took a seat under a window and wished he'd brought one of his textbooks to read. Before he could finish that thought, the man he'd been watching at dinner swept in and all conversation ceased. _Professor Snape_ , he reminded himself.

Once he had everyone's attention, Professor Snape spoke in a firm voice that was soft like velvet, "Welcome to Slytherin House. The rules of Slytherin House can be found on the silver plaque by the door, stuck to the wall with a permanent sticking charm. They are: _Your house is your family. Family stands together._

_"The common room does not belong to YOU. It belongs to everyone. Keep it neat._

_"Arguments with another Slytherin are only permitted within Slytherin House. Refer to the FIRST RULE._

_"Study time is QUIET and is mandatory. You will receive schedules on a weekly basis._

_"NO ONE is allowed to skip House Meetings. House Meetings are almost always scheduled._

_"The Hogwarts House Elves are not your servants. Keeping your dorm rooms and the common room clean is your responsibility._

_"Dorm inspections once a month. These are NOT scheduled. Consider yourself forewarned._

_"All meals are mandatory. No sweets in the dorms. No sweets after 8 P.M. Those taking a nutrition potion will see me or Madame Pomfrey once a week._

"Bedtimes are as follows: _first years at 9 P.M. second through fourth years at 10 P.M. fifth through sixth years at 11 P.M. seventh years at midnight._

_"Your House is your family. Family stands together._

_"These are the rules I expect everyone in Slytherin to follow; to the letter. They are, however, not the only rules. You will discover in your seven years here that I will give you further guidelines and rules that you can take past the walls of Hogwarts._

_"Finally, never forget the Secret of Slytherin:_

_"Plan in ways a Ravenclaw finds sound_

_"Blend like a Hufflepuff into the background_

_"As for the Gryffindor, learn from their mistakes_

_"And be ready to react, Slytherin, swift as a snake._ ¹

"Our motto is _**Serpens tacitus perspicasis et celeris est**_ ¹

"Which translates to The serpent is silent, observant and swift.

"The prefects will have your schedules at breakfast tomorrow. I expect you all to be there. If any of you come to my office asking for your schedule I will not hesitate to take points. You will sleep four to a room, your name is on the door. The prefects will help you. Goodnight," So saying, he swept from the room.

As it turned out, Harry's roommates were Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott, none of whom he had chanced to meet before. Their trunks were already in the room, and Harry cringed seeing how his trunk looked compared to the others'. Atop each trunk was a slip of parchment that at first glance appeared to be blank, but when turned over revealed a single word in spiky cramped handwriting: " _celeris_ ". After a quick comparison, the four of them surmised that all four pieces of parchment were the same, and after some discussion, they had come to the conclusion that it must be the password to the dormitory.

Wanting to be sure they were not wrong, they decided that they must test it. It was decided that Draco and Harry were to be sent to the common room to test the password. On their way out, they met with two other first-years, both girls, who were presumably from the one other room of first-years which contained more than one or two students. The common room was empty except for the four of them as they crept silently to the door.

"I'll go out and use the password to get back in," Harry said, "and if it doesn't work in a few minutes, open the door from this side and let me back in."

They all agreed, and Harry slipped out the hidden doorway and let it shut silently behind him. The hallway was dark, but although he had learned the wand-lighting charm from his textbook earlier, he dared not use it. He breathed for a few seconds to steady his heartbeat, then turned back to the hidden doorway.

" _Celeris_ ," he whispered against the stone, breathing a sigh of relief as it slid aside to allow him entrance.

He did not see the tall, slender man who stepped out of the deepest part of the shadows as the door slid silently shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Strangers! This chapter ended up being shorter than usual. I guess I just felt that there should be a chapter split here and I usually have good instincts for those things. 
> 
> ¹Credit goes to this AO3 page: https://archiveofourown.org/works/426484
> 
> All the love 😍 😍 😘,  
> Emmi 💛

**Author's Note:**

> The rating and tags will probably change as the fic goes on and the characters get older.


End file.
